Initiation
by carolina-28
Summary: Merlin is away with Arthur & the knights of Camelot on a hunting expedition when he finds himself getting more enjoyment than he would believe possible from the trip. Slash.


Slash Merlin/Arthur

Rating: M

Un-beta'd

*****

Merlin trudged onwards and upwards trying his best to watch out for any possible sign of trouble as he did so. It was difficult to manage this when he was also carrying a large pail of water which he had just filled at the bottom of this bloody endless hill.  
This was proving far more strenuous than the almost delighted running he had been doing as he ran down it earlier as he finally managed to escape the hectoring of Arthur and his Knights. So what if it had been an order to fetch them water which had enabled him to get away...he was _free. _

Now cradling the much heavier pail in carefully supportive arms, he just felt knackered and grumpy_. _

__

God, they were annoying and immature. Merlin usually found that if he pretended that he wasn't actually there, which they seemed to cooperate with anyway, then he could let their bawdy, blush inducing comments fly right over his head.  
They were all so different to Merlin in everything from personality to appearance and he knew he stuck out like a sore thumb. Where he was pale - they were deeply tanned, where he was slim and almost skinny- in them only toned muscle was apparent and as he preferred to sit quietly to ponder life-the Knights would gravitate towards each other attempting to outdo each other with tales of drinking, fighting and women.

In the evenings, after a long exhausting day's hunt, Arthur would make him join in by sitting round the campfire to drink ale and share anecdotes, which Merlin only found embarrassing. Especially as the Prince's smirk seemed to prove that he was aware of his discomfort and was enjoying the sight.  
To be honest he could just about cope, as long as they didn't involve him, after all that had been why _it_ had happened. Merlin quickly cast that memory from his mind before it was all he thought about...it stirred up feelings that were too confusing.

His legs were protesting now, his slim upper arms, although toned from Arthur's notoriously demanding ways, ached from effort. Almost tripping, as he neared the halfway point, Merlin gasped, steadied himself and the pail before continuing on his way.

Knowing how clumsy and ineffectual he could be during these trips, Merlin was always surprised when he was briskly ordered to prepare Arthur's things for the next one with an aside to get his things together too. Why he had let himself be talked into coming on this hunting trip he didn't know.  
Well okay, so Arthur hadn't exactly asked him, more like ordered him with the threat of rat stew for a week if he didn't. The stern look had forbade any attempts at wheedling himself out of going, yet the warlock had still tried his damndest. That had earnt him a swat around the ears, actually Arthur touched his ears a lot, and he was starting to notice that more and more often...  
Not good to linger on that right now.

Then the sound of voices reached his ears, he was nearly at the top, hallelujah!

_Wait... _When the words registered, they sent a flood of warmth up to blazon across his cheekbones. They were discussing him and_...It.  
_Merlin stopped in his tracks, kneeling down and gripping the pail in his arms.

_"_Did you see his face when Arthur reached for him, I thought the kid was going to faint then and there." A loud belly laugh accompanied this hushed comment.  
_  
_The deep voice was one Merlin recognised as belonging to Sir Galahad, one of Arthur's most trusted Knights. He would never fail to be surprised by how childish even the most fearsome warrior could be, despite the endless supply of evidence he witnessed during these expeditions. Wincing slightly, the warlock listened intently wanting to hear the rest and dreading it simultaneously.

"I couldn't believe my ears; I mean who hasn't been kissed at his age_...really!" _A laugh in response from Galahad to the other man whose voice Merlin also recognised but couldn't quite picture in his head. Thank god they couldn't see him; he did feel ridiculously like a peeping tom, but hell it was _him_ they were discussing.

The sound of them chuckling, approaching nearer to where he perched made Merlin leap to his feet and then release a moan of distress. The weight of the pail, forgotten in his urgency, caught him off guard and he lost his balance, falling backwards and beginning to tumble down the hill. His loud cry attracted the Knights' attention, they yelled for help before racing down the hill after him.

He lay sprawled at the bottom, every part of him aching and praying for oblivion from it all.

Firm, capable hands ran over his body, testing his reactions and checking for injuries. The sound of a very familiar gruff voice, telling everyone to scram and get back to whatever they were doing, brought one eyelid up slowly to allow it's owner to peek warily upwards.

"Am I meant to be on a hunting trip or babysitting you, Merlin, because it would be useful to know so that I can allocate my time accordingly?"

Merlin just stared, relieved that the Prince was finally talking to him after what he had almost done. His appealing look made Arthur growl in frustration, glance around before collecting Merlin up into his arms and stride not up the hill to the camp but in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" Merlin's stutter drew no reaction at all from the Prince whose chiselled good looks seemed as if carved from stone.

Reaching a quiet sheltered spot, by the river, they stopped, and the warlock was placed on the ground, surprisingly gently. Merlin knew he could be kind but hadn't expected it now, not after last night.

They sat in silence, for so long that Merlin wondered if anything was going to break the awkward tense atmosphere which seemed to surround them. Looking down at his chipped finger nails, Merlin gave a start as the husky voice made itself heard.

"I'm sorry for keeping my distance Merlin; it was an... _odd_ evening last night."

Was that his jaw hitting the ground, because it felt like it had? "Erm, Arthur...it's _me_ that has to apologise as if I hadn't accepted the dare then you wouldn't have been put in such an awful position, with a servant, in front of your friends."

Gathering courage he nervously continued, knowing it needed said if they were to retain their previously bantering, strangely close relationship. "I realise that my er...response, shocked you and probably embarrassed you but I want to reassure you that it won't happen again."

Merlin recollected the humiliation he had experienced as the knights had gleefully pointed out his erection as Arthur had taken his shoulders to move to kiss him and fulfil the dare. Except it hadn't happened Arthur had pulled himself away and left the campsite, heading for the forest.

Arthur got to his feet with a rush, walking past Merlin and leaning his arms against a sturdy, oak tree, turning his face away from Merlin's curious gaze. Merlin wondered what could be bothering him, he _had_ apologised, unless...

"If, if, it would be too weird for you now, then I can go...leave your service forever..." The thought alone tore up Merlin inside and he stared at the stiffly held back which didn't invite him to approach.

His words tore a slightly hysterical laugh from Arthur and he spun round to stride over to grasp Merlin's jaw pulling his chin upwards so that they could look into each other's eyes. Merlin's were wide and apprehensive whereas Arthur's just glittered with some unknown inner turmoil. "_You're_ not going anywhere," This was bitten out in a raspy growl which sent shivers shuddering through Merlin's body, "Do you realise how I_ felt _when I heard you say that you had never been kissed, not _ever?"_

Merlin managed a shaky negating movement of his head, for he hadn't believed that Arthur would care either way, apart from it being another thing to tease his servant about.

"I was _pleased_, I Prince Arthur, who could have _anyone_, was ecstatic that no one had kissed you."

Merlin would usually have muttered something about Princes and heads being too big for doorways, but this was _interesting...intriguing._

Arthur's hand raked through his hair, drawing Merlin's eyes to where they combed agitatedly and reached out with his own hand to place it over the prince's. They both stared, unwilling to break the bond which seemed to connect them strangely, potently and Merlin kept his hand directly over Arthur's larger one to cement this.

Merlin took a shaky breath, unsure what to say and then finding the words from somewhere. "I suppose it was partly due to growing up in the country, there wasn't a lot of women around, you would have hated it." A slight smile as he said this, as he also imagined Arthur attempting to settle for village life...it just wouldn't happen.

_"Go on."_

Merlin drew his knees up to tuck them under his chin, already defending himself against the potential amusement or scorn that Arthur may react with, despite knowing that he was already aware of his lack of experience. "I was never attracted to anyone, even when they seemed to amazingly feel that way for me."

This modesty brought a smile to Arthur's lips, as he let his eyes survey Merlin all over and came to the conclusion that there must have been some very disappointed ladies in Ealdor.

"So what you're saying is that until you met me you had never felt a desire to kiss anyone...understandable." Arthur burst out laughing as Merlin threw the nearest thing, in this case a twig, at him in reaction to this display of arrogance.

"I don't know _why_ you find this so amusing all of a sudden?"

Arthur sat beside him, watching his own reflection in the gently bubbling water and reached an arm around Merlin's shoulders. He knew that he had wanted more than anything to feel those lips under his own, to taste them and dip inside but he couldn't do so in front of his Knights. Not because he was shy or feared being judged for kissing a man, practically every one of his Knights had kissed another in reaction to some drunken dare after all. His reasons had been deeper than that, as he had known that he would find it extremely hard to stop with just a kiss if he had begun one at all.

Tilting his head in Merlin's direction, Arthur took the biggest gamble of his life, which was really saying something. Moving his hand down from his head, with Merlin's in tow, he lifted it to press against Merlin's lips watching as the blue eyes shot up to meet his.

"I'm not laughing at you...what do you think I am thinking right now?" Keeping an arm around his shoulders as well as his hand to Merlin's lips, Arthur didn't think that this was such a difficult question to warrant a lack of immediate response.

Merlin was gob smacked for about the space of ten seconds and then the most endearing grin lit up his face. He thought he could hazard a guess. Then no thinking was required.

The Prince made his move, rubbing his hand over the soft lips enjoying the small groan which Merlin couldn't hold in. Leaning closer he gently pressed his mouth to meet the other man's, this was no ravishment...yet... it _was_ Merlin's first kiss. Withdrawing his hand, the warlock pushed it up into the golden locks, loving the silky feel as he let his fingers run through it caressingly. The lips nibbling at his own were sending tremors through him and he could feel the butterflies in his belly fluttering in anticipation. Neither found they had the patience for going slow.

Arthur bound the other man tight, hands knotted tight in clumps of midnight hair, chest against heaving chest, cock brushing against thrusting cock and skilful tongue pressing deeper into Merlin's mouth, teasing his until the combined sensations were becoming too much. The flood of pleasure was incredible and Arthur was blindly gripping and swearing under his breath as the combination of their kiss and the rubbing of their bodies began to send him over the edge. Determined to bring Merlin to the same state, he slid his hand under the other man's waistband to grasp his cock. The uncontrollable jerk and whimper he released produced a smirk of self-satisfaction as he proceeded to foray with his tongue all the while massaging and tugging on Merlin's hard cock. They both came gasping, Arthur first, shortly followed by his lover.

"Wow, is _everyone's_ first kiss like that?" Merlin sounded exhausted but also absolutely elated.

Yanking Merlin down, to sprawl on the ground, amused that he could call all of _that _a kiss, Arthur leant close with a smug grin. "Of _course_ not, they don't all have _me_ to initiate them to such delights."

Merlin swatted him on the bum, then blushed as he realised that he had just smacked the bottom of the future King.

Arthur chuckled and swatted him right back, this time on the ears bringing Merlin's head up sharply to stare at him puzzled. "What is it with you and my ears...no _really?"_

Merlin glared, as the Prince laughed, before approaching one of said ears with a wicked grin on his face. So close that Merlin could practically feel the touch of his full bottom lip, he could definitely feel the soft breaths..._ah..._

"I think that there are a few other firsts which are still available to us, other than me specifically kissing your mouth alone." This suggestive remark, accompanied by a nibble of his ear, turned the warlock's legs to jelly and he stared into Arthur's glinting eyes wondering what the hell he was going to suggest.

Arthur adjusted his position to lie on his side, somehow still managing to keep his body fully against Merlin's the entire time and then with a flick of his wrist had the other man draped over his chest in an embrace that made Merlin want to do only one thing...snuggle.

Arthur patted his lover's back soothingly as if gentling one of the horses in his stables. "Don't worry Merlin, I have decided to take on the responsibility of educating you and I promise you that you are going to absolutely _love it."_


End file.
